Obama, Michael Jordan among many to react to alleged Donald Sterling tape

Players, former players and many others across the nation have voiced their outrage to Donald Sterling’s alleged racist comments. (Mark J. Terrill, Associated Press file)

The Donald Sterling fallout has been swift but not new — not for him, anyway.

The Clippers owner was allegedly the man on a recording obtained by TMZ in which he argued with his girlfriend over her associations with minorities. Specifically at issue: her decision to post an Instagram photo with Magic Johnson.

“It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you’re associated with black people,” the man on the recording purported to be Sterling said to his girlfriend, V. Stiviano. “ … Don’t put him [Magic] on an Instagram for the world to have to see so they have to call me. And don’t bring him to my games.”

Sterling has a long history of alleged racism.

As Dan Wetzel of Yahoo detailed in an earlier report of Sterling’s past, Sterling’s company in 2003 agreed to settle a racial discrimination suit for that was said to be “one of the largest ever obtained in this type of case” and a reported $5 million in plaintiff legal fees.

In 2006, the U.S. Department of Justice sued Sterling, who is also a real estate mogul, for housing discrimination, claiming he refused to rent apartments in his complex in Southern California to minorities. He later settled the suit for more than $2.7 million. The settlement was also said to be “the largest monetary payment ever obtained” by the Justice Department in such a case.

In 2009, Elgin Baylor, the Clippers’ former vice president of basketball operations, filed a wrongful termination suit against the Clippers alleging race and age discrimination. The 22-year veteran with the team alleged that Sterling, among other things, held a “plantation mentality” and that, in the late 1990s, he rejected a coaching candidate, Jim Brewer, because of race.

According to the legal documents, Baylor quoted Sterling as saying, “Personally, I would like to have a white Southern coach coaching poor black players.”

On Saturday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said that Sterling was owed due process that the NBA would move “extraordinarily quickly” in its investigation and that “in the meantime, Mr. Sterling has agreed that he will not attend his playoff game (Saturday night) in Golden State.”

“We do hope that have this wrapped up in the next few days,” Sterling added.

In the past, the NBA failed to take action against Sterling or to punish him, but with the recording that was released Saturday, the new commissioner has an opportunity to do something if it is in fact Sterling on that tape. And calls for Silver’s action have been loud and direct.

As Sports Illustrated’s Michael McCann explained, the NBA’s most likely course of action, should the league’s investigation show Sterling was the man on the tape, would be levying a fine against Sterling. But even a record-breaking fine from the league would have little effect on Sterling, who is worth $1.9 billion, according to Forbes. Another possible action is to suspend Sterling, like Major League Baseball did (twice) with Reds owner Marge Schott.

Chris Paul, the Clippers’ star point guard and the president of the National Basketball Players Association, released a statement on behalf of the NBPA saying: “This is a very serious issue which we will address aggressively. We have asked Mayor Kevin Johnson to expand his responsibilities with the NBPA, to determine our response and our next steps. As players, we owe it to our teams and our fans to keep our focus on our game, the playoffs, and a drive to the Finals.”

But throughout the league, players and others were very clear in what they thought of the matter, taking to social media to express their outrage.

Magic Johnson responded to the incident on Twitter with:

.@cjbycookie and I will never go to a Clippers game again as long as Donald Sterling is the owner.

And as reported by ESPN Los Angeles, coach Doc Rivers of the Clippers said the team met for nearly 45 minutes after hearing the tape and that, among other options, considered boycotting Game 4 against the Warriors on Sunday.

“(A boycott) was brought up because I’m sure 20,000 people have suggested it,” Rivers said. “But honestly, I’m completely against that and they were, too.”

After Miami’s Game 3 against the Bobcats, LeBron James told reporters: “Obviously, if the reports are true, it’s unacceptable in our league. It doesn’t matter, white, black or Hispanic — all across the races it’s unacceptable. As the commissioner of our league, they have to make a stand. They have to be very aggressive with it. I don’t know what it will be, but we can’t have that in our league.”

TNT’s NBA commentating crew, with Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith, voiced their opinions, during halftime of Game 4 of the Hawks-Pacers series. All three called for Sterling’s suspension.

“If someone wants to be racist, fine,” Barkley said. “That’s their thing. When you’re in a position of power, and you can take jobs and economic opportunities from people, that’s what crosses the line. We can’t have an NBA owner discriminating against a league — we’re a black league. We are a black league.”

During a press conference in Malaysia on Sunday, President Obama condemned the “incredibly offensive racist statements” in the recording.

“I don’t think I have to interpret those statements for you,” Obama said. “They kind of speak for themselves.”

“When ignorant folks want to advertise their ignorance, you don’t do really have to do anything,” he added. “You just let them talk.”

The NAACP was planning to honor Sterling with a second lifetime achievement award in May, but the association announced via Twitter on Sunday that, in the wake of the incident, it would not be giving Sterling the award.

“I look at this from two perspectives — as a current owner and as a former player. As an owner, I’m obviously disgusted that a fellow team owner could hold such sickening and offensive views. I’m confident that Adam Silver will make a full investigation and take appropriate action quickly.

As a former player, I’m completely outraged. There is no room in the NBA — or anywhere else — for the kind of racism and hatred that Mr. Sterling allegedly expressed. I am appalled that this type of ignorance still exists within our country and at the highest levels of our sport. In a league where the majority of players are African-American, we cannot and must not tolerate discrimination at any level. “

This is another example of the racism that liberal Democrats are always charging their opposition with, which in reality is not a problem in America today. Now, they are eating their own.

Sterling is an old white liberal Democrat. Rich and Jewish, if it matters. In the past he has been honored with a Humanitarian Award by the NAACP, and was about receive a NAACP Lifetime Achievement award. He is having a spat with his young girlfriend who is a Mexican/black. She makes public this private tape to blackmail him and the wife.

All the race industry, including the top race baiter himself, have to jump in and comment and make a big deal of some private words. To liberals, words matter and what people actually do doesn’t matter. It is a sham race problem.

Have at it boys.

Gerald Vandy

I’m guessing the wife will fine him a hell of a lot more than the NBA.

willcommentforfood

What’s it matter that he’s Jewish? You are such a racist, and I resent your political partisan garbage on the sports boards. You should take it to where it belongs in the political opinion section. Your complete comment is filled with racism, bigotry, ignorance, and nonsense.

Chris Dempsey arrived at The Denver Post in Dec. 2003 after seven years at the Boulder Daily Camera, where he primarily covered the University of Colorado football and men's basketball teams. A University of Colorado-Boulder alumnus, Dempsey covers the Nuggets and also chips in on college sports.